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“Did I ever tell you Jimmy Jr. and I broke up?” Tina asked out of the blue about a week or two into Zeke’s newfound job at the restaurant.
It was a slow one today, with only Mort and Teddy at the counter talking to Linda. So she and Zeke were sitting at one of the booths in the back absentmindedly entertaining themselves by trying to fold napkins into whatever shapes they could think of and doing so horribly. Tina’s question made Zeke tear his eyes away from his pathetic attempt at a shark to look up at her.
“Do what?”
Tina kept her gaze on her…snake? Seal? He wasn’t really sure what she was trying to make at the moment.
“I was updating my diary last night and I realized I couldn’t remember ever telling you, which is weird because you’re kinda like my best friend right now, although saying it out loud and thinking about it I guess you probably must already know since Jimmy Jr. is your best f-”
“I’m yer best friend?” Zeke cut her off, a wide grin spreading across his face. He still wasn’t entirely ready to broach the whole J-Ju topic at the moment, but more than that he just couldn’t contain the happiness he felt at that little confession of hers.
Tina glanced up at him and, were his eyes deceiving him or was that some color on her cheeks? The sight made pop rocks go off inside his stomach, but didn’t last long as she quickly looked back down at the table to fiddle with her napkin scraps.
“Zeke, we see each other almost every day. No one else outside my family spends this much time with me. Of course I consider you my best friend.”
Zeke placed an arm on the table to rest his chin on his fist, shark completely abandoned at this point. He didn’t care, he was too busy admiring the way her glasses slid down her nose, and couldn’t wipe the smile off his face even if he wanted to. “Well I’ll be, never thought I’d see the day that The Tina Belcher would think so highly of little ol’ me.”
She tossed a crumpled up napkin at his head but it was obvious she was trying not to smile herself. “Little? You’re almost taller than my dad!”
“Betcha I will be come end of summer, doctors say I’m still growing!”
“I don’t doubt it, although I think Louise will strike you down out of jealousy if you do.”
“She can try but she’d have to be able to reach me first.” He replied, causing them both to laugh even though he did glance around to make sure the youngest Belcher couldn’t hear him when he said it. He learned a long time ago that things like height and physical strength meant nothing against that little rascal when she was provoked.
When their laughter died down they let a comfortable silence come over them again as Zeke picked up and restarted his pitiful napkin shark attempt. They could just look up how to do these things online but really, where’s the fun in that? A couple of minutes passed before Tina finally spoke up again.
“Y’know I do think really highly of you right? I know I didn’t always like you when we were kids, but I wish I had.”
“C’mon T, we were kids. I did plenty of stuff back then I’m not proud of either. But look at us now! Closer than two peas in a pod! We got there eventually.” Even though they weren’t quite where Zeke wanted their relationship to be. They had plenty of time though, and he found he didn’t mind the wait with moments like these.
Especially when she smiled at him like she was doing now. “Yeah, that’s true. Plus considering the whole butterfly effect thing people talk about maybe it’s good I can’t change past me’s opinion on you. I mean, I guess it did all lead to where we are now.”
God he couldn’t get enough of that beautiful weird brain of hers “You mean making shitty napkin art?”
She nodded, “Making shitty napkin art.”
Zeke reached over and pushed her glasses back up on her face. Grinning as she blinked back at him in confusion before seemingly accepting it and smiling as she returned to her project.
"Speaking of, what're tryin' to make over there T?"
Her smile turned sheepish, "Um, I was eventually trying to make a horse, but it..hasn't been working out.."
She lifted her crumpled up napkin attempts and sure enough it seemed like she was trying to make a horse by folding individual napkins for each body part. What Zeke thought was a seal was actually supposed to be its torso.
He snorted as he tried to contain the laugh that was bubbling up inside his chest, but Tina being Tina she noticed and showed him her attempt at the horse's head as a final blow.
"I couldn't get the ears right." She said dryly, as if THAT was the worst part of this wrinkled abomination, and smirked a little when Zeke lost it.
"I guess I've just been horsin' around this whole time." She continued relentlessly, voice as monotone as ever but the smirk never leaving. "I should probably stop foaling around and take our origami seriously."
"T please,"
"This was probably a waste of napkins anyway, we could've used them to clean up the mayo- neighs that Teddy got on the counter."
"T-bird I'm begging you-"
"You ok Zeke? Your voice is sounding a little horse. "
They were lucky It was so empty today with the looks they were getting just from Mort, Linda, and Teddy as Zeke struggled to catch his breath. Tina finally started giggling herself as well so at least he wasn't alone in this.
"T you're a riot but good God girl let a guy breathe!" He exclaimed as he wiped a tear from his eye.
"Just be thankful I revealed my superior sense of humor on a slow day. Next time you won't be so lucky."
He nudged her feet under the table with his own and smiled even wider when she kicked back at him with a matching grin on her face.
"Guess I'll just calf to be prepared then."
"Calves are baby cows Zeke."
"God dangit! I'm trying my best T!"
Now that got a full laugh out of her, and Zeke felt much more satisfied with himself as they both dissolved into giggles. Napkin horse and Jimmy Jr. be damned.